THE SENSE OF AN ENDING
UK, 2016, 108 minutes, Colour.
Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling, Harriet Walter, Michelle Dockery, Matthew Goode, Emily Mortimer, James Willby, Edward Holdcroft, Billy Howle, Freya Mavor, Joe Alwyn, Peter Wight.
Directed by Ritesh Batra.
The Sense of an Ending is a very British drama, one of those intelligently satisfying entertainments with articulate and inarticulate characters, with said situations which are gradually revealed, memory, forgetting, and sometimes the dire consequences of actions. It is based on the Man Booker Prize-winning novel by Julian Barnes.
This film has a very significant cast as well as being well directed by Indian director, Ritesh Batra, famous for his moving film The Lunchbox. And it has an excellent cast portraying the older present generation and the younger generation in flashbacks.
Jim Broadbent has been a sterling figure in British and world cinema for many decades, winning an Oscar in 2001 for his role in Iris. Here he is Tony Webster, who is heard reminiscing about the nature of memory, life, forgetting. He is an older man by this, living alone after the divorce from his wife, Margaret (an excellent Harriet Walter), with a 36-year-old pregnant single mother daughter (Michelle Dockery), with a shop selling cameras, his hobby and expertise, and to all intents and purposes rather a curmudgeon.
Where could a story about Tony Webster go? And the answer is: back into the past. There are many significant flashbacks in this film, the reliability and unreliability of memory. Tony (Billy Howle) is in his final year at high school, with a number of friends, rather quiet in manner, walking out of a party and encountering a young woman, Veronica (Freya Mavor), shyly becoming infatuated with her, awkward in sexual encounters, but being invited to visit her family and stay with them, and an encounter with her mother, Sarah (Emily Mortimer) who warns him against her daughter.
A new friend (Joe Alwyn), Adrian, comes to the school and seems to be also infatuated with Veronica. However, there is tragic news which bewilders Tony. There are further flashbacks about Tony’s reaction to Adrian, a card not sent, a vitriolic letter…
In the present, Tony receives a message that he has been bequeathed something by Veronica’s mother, Sarah, who has just died. He discovers that it is Adrian’s diary. With some help from his old friends, and gradually explaining the situation to Margaret, he is able to make an appointment with Veronica (Charlotte Rampling), which does not end well. Tony is intrigued, latent memories coming to the surface, his following Veronica, making discoveries that shock him and challenge him to reassess his past behaviour.
There is a sense of an ending as all this develops, Tony discovering more about himself and acknowledging it, mellowing, rapport with his ex-wife, his assisting at the birth of his grandchild, a message to Veronica, some happiness – and even offering a cup of coffee to the postman whom he has regularly ignored.
A thoughtful film for a thoughtful audience.
1. Strong British drama? Adult themes? Intelligent treatment? Characters, issues?
2. The title, for Tony, for Veronica, for separate?
3. The adaptation Julian Barnes’ novel? Two time periods, intercut? The information, revelation of character, twists? Gradual revelation of characters with more information?
4. The introduction, Jim Broadbent as Tony Webster, comments on memory, life stories? Tony and his age, living alone, his shop, the cameras, the potential customer and the discussion about cameras? Marriage to Margaret, the divorce, their daughter and her pregnancy? His ordinary life for decades? His daughter at 36? Tony seen as a curmudgeon? The postman and Tony’s brusque manner – and the later mellowing and offering him a cup of coffee? The phone calls, Margaret, her injured leg, going to the practice for the birthing? Living in the present, many memories of the past, their being latent, having to acknowledge them?
5. Receiving the letter, his casual approach, not opening it immediately, his interest, the information about the diary, from Sarah? Visiting the lawyer, not getting informational satisfaction? Talking to Margaret, her background as a QC, having the coffee, the interest, her brittle manner, saying she had never heard these stories before? Her comments for action? Anthony and his visit to her home, with a colleague, shutting the door on him?
6. The beginning of the memories, his final year at school, the assembly, his friends and sitting with them, the principal? Classes, the teacher and the focus on literature, suicide, throwing the ball to each of the students? Adrian, his arrival, friendship with Tony, the discussions, views? Tony at the party, not feeling comfortable, the encounter with Veronica outside, working her camera, the talk, her remaining anonymous, his infatuation, their outings, the attempts at sexual activity/not? Going to dinner at her family home, interactions her father, the discussions with her brother about Cambridge, with Sarah, Sarah and her manner, flirtatious, the effect, her final wave as he left? Her warning against Veronica?
7. Adrian, at school, the visuals of his suicide, the comments from his friends, describing the event, his saying he was in love and happy?
8. Tony and his memory of the photo, the address and the stamp, tearing it up? Later typing the letter, full of venom, for Veronica, for Adrian, for their progeny? Its being revealed later in the film and the effect on Tony, the audience?
9. The old friends, their memories, the email, tracking down Veronica’s brother?
10. Veronica, the contact, meeting on the bridge, having burned the diary? The argument about legal and moral rights? Sarah’s request? The mystery? Veronica, abrupt, Tony following to apologise, in the Underground, Highgate station, the car, the number plate? Stalking her, following her with the group along the street? Veronica as pleasant with the group? Tony’s assumption that Adrian was her son? Getting the letter, reading it, Margaret reading it and her reaction?
11. Tony coming into the pub, the group coming in, his comments to Adrian about his medals, Adrian and his mental disabilities? The mentor, coming to talk with Tony, the information as to who Adrian was?
12. His daughter, pregnant, going to the hospital, the false alarm? The later birth, Tony present at her birth, amazed, her worrying that the baby did not cry? Everything happy? Margaret, talking with Tony, leaving together, Margaret staying with her daughter?
13. Tony, his realisation, going to action, the message to Veronica? His having forgotten the letter, the dire consequences?
14. His accepting of himself, kissing Margaret, being a grandfather, Veronica reading his apology, is going to the shop, the coffee for the postman? Some happy ending for him – and for Veronica?
